Henry VIII: Court, Church and Conflict

by David Loades

"Henry VIII" focuses on the fluctuating, often fraught relationship between the king and his court, his Church and his people - and with the other powers of continental Europe, relations with whom were thrown into turmoil by Henry's successive marriages. It explores Henry's policies and strategies and his manipulation of key players such as Wolsey, Cromwell, Fisher and More, as well as the shaping of his royal image over decades of change. It also probes the intriguing nature of the man behind the monarch, especially his complex religious beliefs that determined the shape of England's reformation. David Loades, an authoritative historian of Tudor England, begins by explaining how historians have treated Henry and the expectations contemporaries had of the Renaissance prince who ascended the throne. He describes the ensuing reign in detail, taking in the wars, law enforcement, the succession question, the court, the rebellions and the problem of Ireland, illustrating the narrative with original National Archives documents and full colour portraits of those involved.The author concludes by considering the ambiguous but still tangible legacy that this most high-profile of monarchs has left us.

Genres: History, Tudor Period, Nonfiction, Biography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 29, 2007

About the author

David Michael Loades was a British historian who specialised in the Tudor era. After military service in the Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1955, Loades studied at the University of Cambridge. In the 1960s and 1970s he taught at the universities of St. Andrews and Durham. From 1980 until 1996 Loades was Professor of History at the University of Wales; after taking emeritus status, Loades served as Honorary Research Professor at the University of Sheffield from 1996 until 2008.

Reviews

[Sarah W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief but excellent study of Henry VIII's reign. Unlike many biographies of Henry VIII that I have encountered, Loades does not spend much time on the well-known story of Henry's six wives, but instead discusses the monarch's method of governance, laws, religious views, and politics. I feel that this work contributed more to my understanding of Henry VIII's actual rule and what it meant for the English people than the legions of material written about his wives. This is a great work for someone interested in learning more about Henry and his reign.

[Helene Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review - David Loades's books always contain quite a lot of detail, but you can't always tell where he gets his information from. This book encompasses extracts from primary sources, printed word for word, with the source listed underneath. It adds an extra dimension to the book when you can see what people actually said, wrote and thought at the time.

General Subject/s? - History / Tudors / Henry VIII / Religion

Recommend? - Yes

Rating - 16/20